The topical application to human skin, in particular to the face of substances for cosmetic purposes, such as make-up, has since time immemorial been and still is, an art form employed particularly by women, as part of a daily or periodical ritual or routine to embellish or beautify their appearance in the eyes of the beholder and/or to enhance confidence, to enable them more readily to face each day. Topical application of make-up, particularly to exposed areas of the skin, can also provide some protection from the elements, such as the sun, the wind and the rain, where otherwise the skin damage or accelerated skin ageing can occur.
Make-up, once applied to the skin, has conventionally only a limited life, and must be removed from time to time, in order to replenished it anew. To habitual make-up users, this is a daily or twice daily activity.
The removal of make-up, particularly waxed based make-up such as lipstick and mascara, presents a special problem in that it can adhere strongly to the skin and can resist ordinary washing with soap and water, or with mild detergent products especially formulated for use on delicate skin areas, such as the face. Scrubbing of the skin to remove make-up can be successful, but damage to the underlying sensitive skin can result.
Oil based cleansing products such as `cold cream` have been recommended for cleaning make-up from the skin, but the resultant oil residue consisting of a mixture of solubilised make-up and excess cleanser is difficult to remove either by wiping off or by rinsing with water.
A mild, skin-cleansing, non-foaming mousse forming aqueous emulsion is described by Procter & Gamble in EP 0 213 827. The mousse comprises a nonionic surfactant, such as an ethoxylated nonionic surfactant or a partially esterified polyol, an emollient such as a mineral oil or vegetable oil, a moisturiser such as glycerin or sorbitol and a water soluble gaseous propellant such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen.
A lamella type single phase liquid crystal composition prepared from a hydrophilic nonionic surfactant, a water-soluble substance having a hydroxyl group, and oil substance and water has been proposed by Kao in EP 217 105 as a system suitable for cleansing the skin.